Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-12-21
The Little Match Girl.

WIN none VINO DleSS us, none WnOm we Cah
This is to be alone, this, this is solitude.
The Little Match Girl.
1t was terribly cold; it showed and
was already almost dark and evening
came on-the last evening of the year.
In the cold and gloom poor little
girl, bareheaded and barefooted, was
walking through the streets. When
she left her own house she certainly
had had slippers on, but of what use
were they Z? They were very big slip
pers, and her mother had used them
till then, SO big were they. The little
maid lost them as she slipped across
the road, where two carriages were
rattling by terribly fast. One slipper
was not to be found again, and boy
had seized the other and run away
with it. He thought he could use it
very we'll as cradle some day when
he had children of his own. So now
the little girl went with her naked lit
tie feet, which were quite red and blue
with the cold. In an old apron she
carried number of matches and O.
bundle in her hand. No one had
bought anything of her all day and
no one had given her farthing.
Shivering with cold and hunger she
crept along, q picture Of misery, poor
little girl The snowfakes covered
her long, fair hair, which fell in pretty
curls over her neck, but she did not
think of that now. In all the windows
lights were shining and there was g.
glorious smell of roast goose, for it
was New Years Eve. Yes, she
thought of that!
In corner, formed by two houses.
one of which projected beyond the
other, she sat down, covering. She
had drawn up her little feet, but she
was still colder, and she did not dare
to 60 home, for she had sold no
matches, and did not bring farthing
of money. From her father she
would certainly receive a beating, and
besides, it was cold at home, for they
had nothing over them but roof,
through which the wind whistled,
though the largest rents bad been
stopped with straw and rags.
Her little hands were almost be-
numbed With the cold. All match
might do her good, if she could only
draw one from the bundle, and rub IL
against the wall and warm her hands
at it. She drew one out. R-r-atch !!
how it sputtered and burned It was
warm, bright flame, like g little can
die, when she held her hands over it;
it was wonderful little light ! It
really seemed to the little girl as if she
sat before q great polished stove, with
bright brass feet and s. brass cover.
How the fire burned how comfort
able it was but the little flame went
out, the stove vanished, and she had
only the remains of the burned match
in her hand.
A second was rubbed against the
wall. 1t burned up and when the
light fell upon the wall it became
transparent, like thin veil, and she
could see through it into the room.
|. On the table snow-white cloth was
spread; upon it stood g. shining din
ner service; the roast goose smoked
gloriously, stuffed with apples and
dried plums. And what was still
more splendid to behold, the goose
hoped down from the dish and wad-
died along the floor, with q knife and
fork in his breast, to the little girl.
Then the match went out and only
the thick, damp cold wall was before
her She lighted another match.
Then she was sitting under a beaut1-
full Christmas tree: it was greater and
more Ornamented than the one she
had seen through the glass door at
the rich merchants. Thousands of
candles burned upon the green
branches and colored pictures like
those in the print shops looked down
upon them. The little girl stretched
forth her hand to receive them; then
the match went out. The Christmas
lights mounted higher. She saw them
now as stars in the sky; one OF them
fell down, forming q long line of fire.
"Now some one is dying" thought
the little girl, for her old grandmoth-
er, the only person who had loved
her and who was now dead, had told
her that when q star fell down soul
mounted up to God.
She rubbed another match against
the wall; it became bright again and
in the brightness the old grandmother
stood clear AMI shining, mild and
lovely.
"Grandmother ~ cried the child,
sob take me with you I know you
will go when the match is burned out.
You will vanish like the warm fire, the
warm food and the great, glorious
Christmas tree ~
And she hastily rubbed the whole
bunch of matches, for she wished to
hold her grandmother fast. And the
matches burned with such glow that
it became brighter and brighter than